Eddie Jones demands England follow Six Nations win over Scotland by handing Italy "a good hiding"

Jones' side didn't fully convince but claimed a 15-9 win at Murrayfield in their Calcutta Cup clash on Saturday 

Forward focus: Jones is looking for England to improve on their opening performance

Eddie Jones has demanded England break Italian hearts this Valentine’s Day.
Jones’ team heads to Rome on Sunday encouraged by a defeat of Scotland memorable only for the result itself.
It was not a performance to strike fear into anyone - even England’s next opponents, who have never beaten them.

Yet a bullish Jones declared: “We want to go out there and smack Italy. That’s our aim: to go out there and give them a good hiding.”

The Australian readily admits to using mind games to “create a situation where we put our team in the best position to win”.

In pictures - Scotland 9-15 England: 

He clearly recognises that his force of personality is an essential tool in the process of lifting these players out of their World Cup rut.

“Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of him,” James Haskell confirmed. “We’ve had some smiles but Eddie is a serious guy.”

Saturday was a stepping stone in the right direction. England scored the game’s only tries through George Kruis and Jack Nowell yet were light years from perfection. Scotland will not have a better chance to beat them.

But Jones got just enough of a tune out of his players to get the win - and then quickly set about pumping them up for greater challenges that lie ahead.

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Praise: Jones has faith in Vunipola and is setting him a big target

Dan Cole, he said, is “back on the road to being the premier tighthead prop in the world”. Billy Vunipola, who put in a huge shift at Murrayfield, can according to Jones, be “the best No.8 in the world”.

“Every player needs to have a dream,” Jones explained. “As a coach, one of your jobs is to give them dreams.

“The players have either to aspire to be the best in Europe or the best in the world. If we do that we can be the most dominant team in Europe, then we can dream about being the best in the world.”
Jones’ utopian vision is a world away from the cold reality of Edinburgh on Saturday night, where nothing resembled world class and where afterwards relief was the strongest emotion.

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Victorious: England celebrate their Calcutta Cup success

PLAYER RATINGS: How did England's stars perform against Scotland?

Particularly from captain Dylan Hartley, who kept a cool head throughout, even when he appeared to cry foul about contact in or around his eyes.

“I was a bit miffed and at the time I was a bit, like, Grrrr,” he admitted. “But it was nothing. I got through the game. I survived. I live on for one more week!”

With that, he headed off with his team mates for a couple of late-night beers. Jones was out too but mindful of an early morning appointment he dared not miss.

“I’ve got to take my wife shopping for some stuff for the dog (a chihuahua named Annie), which is very important,” he said.

"Times have changed in the England camp. Whether it is for the better is too early to say.